|
Back to
top
Projects suggested by Parents
Helping Parents
1. Babble Helper
-
Problem: Babbling is an important
stage in child development during which an infant is experimenting with
uttering the sounds of language before producing any recognizable words.
Children born with profound speech impairments do not have a chance to
experiment with the sounds of language through babbling. A chance to babble
through non-speech means may help young non-speaking children develop
better language, literacy, and social interaction skills.
-
Aim: Create a babbling device that
can be controlled by young children with profound speech
disorders.
|
Design Criteria: |
|
- The project must take into account
that children with profound speech disorders also frequently have other
significant motor impairments, so the design must be accessible to users with
very limited fine motor control.
- The design must be portable and
reasonably durable to withstand messy hands and occasional falls.
- The design must allow the child to
spontaneously create a variety of non-speech syllable strings.
|
- Links:
- Baby Babble
Blanket
|
2. Word Imitator
-
Problem: In the process of
language acquisition, children enjoy imitating and playing with words that they
hear in their environment, even when they do not know what these words mean.
Children born with profound speech impairments do not have a chance to
experiment with the sounds of language through non-meaningful imitation. A
chance to immediately imitate and play with any language they hear (e.g. by
saying it in a different voice, or very slowly, or by moving the syllables
around) may help young non-speaking children develop better language, literacy,
and social interaction skills.
-
Aim: Create a device that will
allow young children with profound speech disorders to immediately repeat and
manipulate (such as change speed or pitch) a word or phrase that they hear in
their environment.
|
Design Criteria: |
|
- The project must take into account
that children with profound speech disorders also frequently have other
significant motor impairments, so the design must be accessible to users with
very limited fine motor control.
- The design must be portable and
reasonably durable to withstand messy hands and occasional falls.
|
- Project Contact:
- Elena Dukhovny, MA,
CCC-SLP
- Parents Helping Parents
- elena -at- php.com
- Links:
- Parents
Helping Parents - San Jose
|
Back to
top
Customize the Wheelchair
Project
-
US Market Size
Background:
-
- About 2 million manual wheelchairs are
in use today.
- 60% of manual wheelchairs (1.2
million) are used by individuals 65 and older.
- Wheelchair use by individuals 65 and
older is five times greater than the entire population.
- The number of citizens 65 and older is
expected to grow from 40 million in 2010 to 55 million in 2020, requiring an
additional 450,000 manual wheelchairs.
- 80 million baby boomers started
turning 65 this year (10,000 a day).
-
Problem: Individuals who use
wheelchairs have little opportunity to extend their personal sense of fashion
and aesthetics to these devices. This is exacerbated by the fact that the
equipment covered by health insurance or Medicare is often the most "basic"
version with a plain design. Whereas one's choice of clothes, shoes,
accessories, and jewelry are made on a daily basis, users of wheelchairs have
to "wear" the same equipment everyday and for every occasion.
-
Aim: Explore ways to add a
personal aesthetic to wheelchairs.
|
Design Criteria: |
|
- The design should not alter or
permanently deface or damage the physical structure of the
wheelchair.
- The customization should be able to
easily be installed, removed, changed, cleaned, and washed by the
user.
- The design should work on a number
of popular / standard wheelchairs covered by insurance and
Medicare.
- Consider different user personas and
aesthetics (e.g. refined / elegant, modern / contemporary, smart / sporty,
premium / luxury, male / female, as well as the age of user, etc).
- Consider fabrics, metal finishes,
color, patterns, light, texture, and text elements.
- Consider a variety of usage
occasions (e.g. in-home, outdoors, party, tailgater, etc).
- The design should be inexpensive and
easy to fabricate.
- Also consider designs that would
enhance wheelchair visibility while crossing streets.
|
- Project Contacts:
- Jennifer Smith - San
Francisco
- jennifer.dare.smith -at-
gmail.com
- Marsha Maruyama, PT
- Juana Briones Medical Therapy
Unit
- marsha.maruyama -at-
phd.sccgov.org
- Deane Denney - Palo Alto VA Health Care System -
Spinal Cord Injury Center
- denney -at- va51.stanford.edu
- Links:
- Design
Flair for the Least-Stylish Devices
- Icon Wheelchairs
|
Back to
top
Dog Leash Project
-
Problem: Wheelchair users who walk
their pet dogs need their hands to both control their pets and propel their
wheelchairs. A leash that is simply tied to the wheelchair can get caught under
the wheels. And a strong dog may be able to tip the owner's
wheelchair.
-
Aim: Explore designs for a dog
leash system that will be easy for users to attach to their wheelchairs
independently, prevent the leash from being caught under the wheelchair, and
avoid being tipped over by a strong dog.
-
Design Criteria: The improved
leash design can employ commercially available components, but must be simple
in design, lightweight, easy to attach by pet owners with limited hand
movement, provide a reliable release, and be inexpensive to
fabricate.
- Project Contacts:
- Deborah Davis - Miami
- abildavis -at- aol.com
- Deane Denney - Palo Alto VA Health Care System - Spinal
Cord Injury Center
- denney -at- va51.stanford.edu
- Links:
- Deborah's video
pitch
- Push Living
- Wheelchair
Leash Hook and Custom Lead
- Petego
Walky Dog Hands-Free Bicycle Leash
Back to
top
Adjustable Seating System
Project
-
Problem: Liz Hamil is a Stanford
graduate and an author from San Jose who has written several books about
traveling with a hidden disability and chronic illness. She experiences
moderate to severe chronic pelvic pain and associated chronic lower back pain.
In many of her travels - at professional conferences, in airports and train
stations, while camping, and while sightseeing - comfortable seating is not
readily available.
-
Aim: Explore lightweight,
portable, adjustable seating solutions for Liz.
-
Design Criteria: The ideal
prototype should have a seat back that is adjustable down to about 145 degrees,
have a footrest, fold to fit into a large suitcase or an airplane overhead bin,
weigh less than 5 pounds, support users up to 250 pounds, and maintain
stability on uneven ground, including a sandy beach.
- Project Contact:
- Liz Hamil
- lizscott04 -at- gmail.com
- Links:
- Liz's books
- Liz's blog
Back to
top
Projects suggested by Henry
Evans
1. Electric Scoop Bowl
-
Problem: Scoop bowls are
ubiquitous - they are normal plates with one high side so people can scoop food
onto a spoon. The problem is that food gets pushed out of reach after a few
attempts.
-
Aim: Explore solutions that would
bring the food back to where the user could reach it.
- Specification: The design should be
sturdy and dishwasher safe.
2. Wireless Treat
Dispenser
-
Problem: Many people with
disabilities (not just blind) use highly trained service dogs or monkeys. Some
individuals with disabilities are not able to reward their service animal's
behavior with treats.
-
Aim: Explore a design for a simple
wireless treat dispenser that it would operate by a switch or a wireless
signal.
- Project Contact:
- Henry Evans
- hevans1000 -at- gmail.com
- Links:
- Henry's Blog
- Stroke AAC Success Story
(video)
- Article: Why
AAC?
- Scoop
Bowls
- X10 Products
Back to
top
Friendly Cane Project
-
Problem: As the population grows
older, more seniors need canes for balance and support. Current canes may be
heavy, awkward to stow when they are not being used, and clumsy to use when
both hands are needed - such as when carrying something.
-
Aim: Explore designs for a light
weight cane that can accommodate the weight of its user and easily retract and
extend with one hand.
-
Design Criteria: The design must
be attractive and not look merely utilitarian.
- Project Contacts:
- Don Frank
- nodknarf -at- hotmail.com
-
- Rosenna Yau
- rosenna.yau -at-
stanford.edu
- Links:
Back to
top
Projects suggested by
Medinnov
Background: Medinnovo LLC is a medical
innovation consulting company whose mission is to help organizations deliver
new medical technologies into patient care.
Medinnovo was founded on the belief that
technology will continue to have a growing role in helping redefine the way
health care is seen today. The next wave of innovation, particularly with the
convergence of wireless communications technology and health care, will provide
effective, life-improving solutions that empower patients to a better quality
of life.
In the medical tech field, opportunities
abound for innovators who have the insight to identify real medical needs, and
the ingenuity to generate problem-solving ideas. Delivering innovation in
patient care, however, is a challenging process: technology, regulatory, and
marketing forces are simultaneously involved in this process, and the
understanding of their interplay is crucial to the success of organizations
that want to make a positive impact in health care. Medinnovo helps companies
deliver new medical technologies into patient care by offering consulting
services in these key areas.
1. Virtual Community
Project
-
Problem: For elderly people,
hobbies are an important occupation for self-development and recreation, and
are known to aid mental health. Music, reading, walking, playing golf, and
collecting are common activities to spend time, either alone or with equally
interested people. However, attending to these hobbies can be challenging for
seniors with physical limitations and disabilities. The result is increased
loneliness and segregation, which can negatively affect mental
health.
-
Aim: The aim of this project is to
explore and design an application or virtual community of elderly persons with
same or similar interests. With broadband access to the internet, one has
access not only emailing or chatting - online gaming and gambling are also be
possible. A virtual community approach may help seniors maintain their hobbies,
find new ones, and - most importantly - learn, engage, and to do so with their
peers.
-
Design Criteria: The design must
be easy to setup and use, affordable, and appeal to an older population of
users (i.e. "playing cards" and "classic music" are preferable to "playing
soccer" and "pop music"). It is very important for seniors to have control of
their role in the community and to feel safe in using it. In addition, their
privacy should be respected.
2. Elderly Drivers at the Wheel
Project
-
Problem: For elderly people, a
decrease in physical capabilities causes a lack of mobility. Not only walking
can become difficult, but also driving. Typical changes that can diminish the
abilities of elderly drivers are a slowdown in response time, a loss of clarity
in vision and hearing, a loss of muscle strength and flexibility, drowsiness
due to medications, and a reduction in the ability to focus or concentrate. Not
only is the safety of elderly drivers at risk, but also that of other drivers
and of pedestrians. Yet driving is essential, especially in rural areas where
there is no access to public transportation.
-
Aim: The goal of this project is
to research and create devices that are capable of restoring the ability and/or
increasing the safety of elderly drivers. These assistive devices may be
integrated with the car or used as an adjunct by the driver.
-
Design Criteria: The device must
be easy to setup and use, affordable, and work with most automotive makes and
models.
- Links:
- Senior
Driving
- Adaptive
Driving Aids For Your Car
3. Household Tasks
Project
-
Problem: Elderly people often find
it difficult to perform everyday household tasks such as hanging curtains,
fixing household devices, cleaning windows, ironing, and making the
bed.
-
Aim: The goal is to explore and
create devices that are capable of restoring the ability of elderly people to
attend to daily household tasks, especially the most basic ones such as making
the bed and ironing.
-
Design Criteria: The design should
be intuitive and safe to use, highly reliable, lightweight, and easy to handle,
clean, and store.
- Project Contact:
- Marta Gaia Zanchi, PhD - Principal
Consultant
- Medinnovo
LLC
- 650/815-1160
- mgzanchi -at- medinnovo.com
Back to
top
Sailboat Seating Project
-
Background: Sailing is a
competition sport as well as a therapeutic and recreational activity enjoyed by
people everywhere. Access Dinghies are small sailboats that have been designed
to accommodate the needs of a broad range of people who would like to
participate in sailing including: individuals with moderate to severe
disabilities, older adults, girls and women, young children, and those who are
socially or economically disadvantaged or belong to an ethnic minority
group.
-
Problem: Access Dinghy sailors who
have a spinal cord injury have special seating requirements that include the
need to both securely support their upper body as well as to provide sufficient
freedom of movement to efficiently operate their sailboat.
-
The current seating system is hard,
slippery, too wide at the hips, and positions the sailor in a reclined position
which makes it difficult to reach forward to operate the sail
rigging.
-
Aim: Explore a seating design for
a sailor with quadriplegia that is adjustable, comfortable, functional, and
secure.
-
Design Criteria: The seat itself
should include an appropriate cushion, address the deficiencies of the current
design, and be compact, foldable, and removable for storage and
shipping.
- Project Contact:
- Fernanda Castelo
- lizzenu -at- aol.com
- Links:
- Access Dinghy
Foundation
- Kathi Pugh sailing solo in
McCovey Cove with Bay Area Association of Disabled sailors - :34 - YouTube
video
- Beneficial
Designs' Canoe Seating System
Back to
top
Projects suggested by
LeVaunt
Background: LeVaunt, LLC is a private
company investigating the market demands for seniors who wish to
"age-in-place". The purpose of the investigation is to identify product
opportunities and collaborate with research institutions, product development
organizations, product design organizations, manufacturers, and distribution
organizations to serve unmet needs of seniors who have disabilities or
limitations that have a negative effect on their quality of life.
In a survey published by AARP Research and
Strategic Analysis Healthy@Home 2.0 in April of 2011 89% of those over 50 years
old strongly agreed with statement, "What I'd really like to do is to continue
living on my own for as long as possible."
The potential market for quality-of-life
enhancement among Americans 55 years of age or older is huge: 3 of 10 such
Americans have difficulty stooping or bending, 1 of 10 has difficulty reaching
or grasping, 15% have difficulty carrying 10 lb (4.5 kg), nearly one third have
some hearing impairment, one fifth have lost all their natural teeth, and 1 of
4 has difficulty walking a quarter of a mile (0.4 km).
In the US there are 111 million households
(2006) with 23% of households containing one or more individuals 64 years or
older and 70% of population lives in single family homes (2001). Almost 22
million households are headed by older persons (2003) where 80% were owners and
20% were renters. Thirteen percent of the US population is between 65 and 74
years old. Forty-four percent of people who are older than 74 years have
limitations due to one or more chronic conditions. The most frequently
occurring conditions of elderly (2002-2003) were: hypertension (51%), diagnosed
arthritis (48%), all types of heart disease (31%), any cancer (21%), diabetes
(16.0%), and sinusitis (14%). In addition 22 million over the age of 65
reported physical difficulties including 14 million with difficulty walking
¼ mile and 11.5 million with difficulty climbing 10 steps while 1.7 to
2.3 million used wheeled mobility devices and 6.1 million use assistive devices
such as canes, crutches, or walkers.
- More background
statistics
1. Flat House Project
-
Problem: Most housing in the US
has one or more steps that must be negotiated for various activities of daily
living. In order for seniors to remain in their current housing (as they
desire), they must be able to negotiate steps or the steps must be eliminated.
(Other than elevators and stair climbers, no product is known to currently meet
this need.)
-
Aim: The aim of this project is to
explore and design a solution that can be retrofitted to current housing for
the outdoor step problem (entering and leaving a house), the indoor one step up
or down on a single floor, and the multi-step problem of
stairs.
-
Design Criteria: The design must
be aesthetically pleasing, easy and safe to use, quiet in operation, conserve
space, and economical. (Tradeoffs may be necessary in terms of economics, quiet
operation, or space conservation but not in aesthetics, ease of use, or
safety.)
2. Shower / Bathtub / Sink / Toilet
Cleaning Project
-
Problem: In order for seniors to
remain in their current housing (as they desire), they must be able to
independently maintain the cleanliness of their house, including its shower,
bathtub, sink, and toilet. While there are numerous cleaning products on the
market, none adequately addresses the problem. [What are some of their
limitations?]
-
Aim: The aim of this project is to
explore and design a solution for the shower / bathtub / sink / toilet cleaning
problem for a senior who experiences some or all of the disabilities
listed.
-
Design Criteria: The design(s)
must be economical, aesthetically pleasing, easy and safe to use while
performing the cleaning task. The design will depend on the user's
abilities.
- Project Contact:
- Jack W. Moorman - CEO
- LeVaunt,
LLC
- jack.moorman -at- gmail.com
- Link:
- Healthy@Home
2.0 (April 2011)
Back to
top
Accessible Restaurant Menu
Project
-
Problem: People who have low
vision, are blind, have trouble reading, or cannot read may have trouble
ordering food off of restaurant menus. Many restaurants have neither Braille
menus nor menus accessible online. Often the Braille menus that restaurants do
have are out-of-date with either the food items or prices. Those restaurants
that have online menus often employ PDF files, which are not accessible by most
electronic Braille note taking devices.
-
Aim: Create an accessible database
of restaurant menus that can be accessed via a website or a mobile
application.
- Project Contact:
- Nicole B. Torcolini
Back to
top
Piano Pedal Project
-
Problem: Zack is a student at
Menlo Atherton High School who enjoys playing his Yamaha electronic keyboard.
However, due to his paralysis, he cannot operate the foot pedal, so the sound
isn't right.
-
Aim: Explore designs that would
enable Zack to operate the sustain foot pedal.
-
Design Criteria: The solution
should be intuitive and easy to use and should not physically damage the
keyboard.
- Project Contact:
- Zack Wentz
- zackwentz -at- gmail.com
- Links:
- Is
there anything I can do? - Menlo Park Almanac - 04/01/2009 - page
7
- Family blog
- Paralyzed
pianist needs alternative sustain pedal for P-80 digital piano
- Advantage
to the handicapped
Back to
top
Rain Protector Project
-
Problem: Aubrie is a Stanford
student who uses a scooter to get around campus. She has trouble with the
physical effort of holding an umbrella.
-
Aim: Explore solutions to provide
rain protection for her.
-
Design Criteria: The design must
be easy to deploy and retract, requiring low effort.
- Project Contact:
- Aubrie Lee
- aubrie -at- stanford.edu
- Links:
Back to
top
Projects suggested by
Benetech
Background: Benetech is a technology
nonprofit organization which serves humanity by developing software solutions
for unmet needs in the areas of Human Rights, the Environment, and
Literacy.
1. Image Analysis and
Classification
-
Overview: This project is in the
Literacy area and involves developing a mechanism to analyze and classify
images from textbooks so that they can be more efficiently described for
students who have print disabilities.
-
Problem: Given the very visual
content of textbooks today, students with print disabilities (such as visual
impairments, cognitive or motor disabilities) are at a significant disadvantage
if they cannot access the information content of the graphical elements of a
textbook. This work is part of a broader program (DIAGRAM Center) to
dramatically change the way image and graphic content for accessible
instructional materials (AIM) is produced and accessed.
-
Aim: The goal is to develop an
application which can analyze graphical images and determine what types of
image they are (photographs, drawings, charts, etc.) and further categorize
them so that a human describer can focus on the task of creating the image
descriptions.
-
Design Criteria: The application
should be able to process graphic files in several formats (jpg, gif, and png
being the most common in eBooks in the EPUB or DAISY formats) and provide a
probability estimate regarding the image type. For certain types, like charts,
the application should be able to further categorize the image as a line, bar,
pie chart, etc. This functionality may be integrated as an enhancement into
Poet, an
existing image
description open source software tool that Benetech has developed. The use
of, or creation of, open source software is a core tenet for Benetech's
development ideology.
2. Image Sampler and
Finder
-
Overview: This project is in the
Literacy area and involves developing a mechanism to compare images in a
repository so that they can be more efficiently described for students who have
print disabilities.
-
Problem: Given the very visual
content of textbooks today, students with print disabilities (such as visual
impairments, cognitive or motor disabilities) are at a significant disadvantage
if they cannot access the information content of the graphical elements of a
textbook. This work is part of a broader program (DIAGRAM Center) to
dramatically change the way image and graphic content for accessible
instructional materials (AIM) is produced and accessed.
-
Aim: The goal is to develop a tool
that automates the comparison of an image that needs to be described with other
images in the repository and find similar images. With these proposed matches
people annotating the images can repurpose the text, thus expediting the image
description process.
-
Design Criteria: Using open source
code (or creating code for that purpose), the tool needs to be able to compare
images contained within a specific version of a title against images in the
repository. The repository may contain previous versions of the same title, or
similar titles (such as another state's textbook on the same subject). Time
allowing, a UI would be required to display the new image and the proposed
images, and allow the end user to view the image descriptions of the proposed
images, and compose the image description of the new image based on prior
descriptions of comparable images.
3. PDF to RTF Conversion
-
Overview: This project is in the
Literacy area and involves developing a mechanism to convert course materials
from non-accessible PDF into an accessible file format.
-
Problem: Many curriculum materials
for post-secondary education are available in PDF files, but this format is not
accessible to the print-disabled.
-
Aim: The goal is to analyze/debug
an existing, open-source conversion tool that would convert these PDF files
into RTF, from which Benetech's Bookshare system then would be able to convert
the files to DAISY format. Once the materials are defined in DAISY, then
Bookshare members can have access to these materials on any of their AT
devices. As a proof-of-concept for this project, the materials from the
Perspectives in Assistive Technology course could be converted and made
available through Bookshare.
-
Design Criteria: Benetech has been
given a conversion tool by a European organization for the blind and print
disabled that works well, but not consistently. The project would entail taking
this conversion software and debugging it, so that it can be used to generate
quality RTF files, including any images.
4. Graphing Calculator that
Produces SVGs for Use as Tactile Images
-
Overview: This project is in the
Literacy area and involves developing a mechanism to dynamically describe and
generate images using mathematical graphing functions.
-
Problem: Graphing Calculators
exist that dynamically create images, but in order to move to the next level of
being able to offer readers tactile images, the calculators must be able to
produce SVG files, which can then be used to render tactile
Images.
-
Aim: One of the initiatives of the
DIAGRAM Center is to be
able to offer accessible images that can be described dynamically by
text-to-speech (TTS) software or printed as a tactile graphic, based on the
function and parameters that are fed to an open source graphing calculator
module. Through the use of a dynamic template, minimal or no human intervention
is required to describe the graphed function.
-
Design Criteria: The use of, or
creation of, open source software is a core tenet for Benetech's development
ideology. Based on an initial cursory analysis, we believe this work could be
an extension to the graph.tk open source software or similar software. We would
like these tools to be web-based, ideally using only HTML5 and JavaScript, so
they can be easily integrated into
Poet - an open
source software image description tool
an open source software
image description tool.
5. Making Route66 More "Switch
Friendly"
-
Overview: This project is in the
Literacy area and involves developing a plan for integrating the
Route66 reading
tool with switching mechanisms. Route 66 Literacy is a flexible, dynamic,
web-based instructional program that provides literacy instruction to
adolescent and beginning adult readers.
-
Problem: Many members of the
primary audience for the Route 66 Literacy program have disabilities that
require access to switches. The current Route66 interface is not optimized for
use with switches.
-
Aim: The goal is to identify areas
and functions within Route66 where switches could be introduced to enable
readers to take advantage of movements to control the flow and usage of this
reading tool.
-
Design Criteria: The use of, or
creation of, open source software is a core tenet for Benetech's development
ideology. Route66 is currently an open source software
application.
6. Making the Bookshare Android
Reader More "Switch Friendly"
-
Overview: This project is in the
Literacy area and involves developing a plan for integrating the Bookshare
Android reading tool with switching mechanisms.
-
Problem: Many members of the
Bookshare community have disabilities that require access to switches. The
current Bookshare for Android interface is not optimized for use with
switches.
-
Aim: The goal is to identify areas
and functions within the Bookshare for Android where switches could be
introduced to enable readers to take advantage of movements to control the flow
and usage of this reading tool.
-
Design Criteria: The use of, or
creation of, open source software is a core tenet for Benetech's development
ideology. Though the software for the Bookshare web site is not open source, we
have an open web services API and
various related applications are open source, such as our
Android Bookshare
Reader.
- Project Contact:
- Gerardo Capiel
- gerardoc -at- benetech.org
- Links:
- Benetech
- DIAGRAM Center
- SocialCoding4Good
Back to
top
Projects suggested by Sunrise of
Palo Alto
-
Medication administration to
residents: Medications come in small packages prepared for the week and are
given at a specific time. Assistance would be needed in giving these
medications and ensuring residents are taking them.
-
Guidance for residents with cognitive
impairments: There is a need to escort residents to the dining room, around
the community, to exercise classes, or to the front desk when they scheduled to
be picked up.
-
Safety monitoring of residents with
cognitive impairments: There is a need to prevent residents from wandering
into unsafe areas of the facility such as the stairwells, the pool, or the
street.
-
Showering assistance for residents at
risk for falls: For residents who shower independently, there is a need to
detect a fall so that emergency treatment could be administered
quickly.
-
Fall detection: Prompt
notification is needed for a resident who falls and is unable to use their
emergency pendent (or is not wearing one) and is unable to reach a phone or
emergency pull cord.
-
Grocery shopping assistance: Some
residents who are new to the facility may need to be directed to the nearby
grocery store.
- Project Contact:
- Jan Clements - Executive Director
- paloalto.ed -at-
sunriseseniorliving.com
- Link:
- Sunrise
of Palo Alto
Back to
top
Project suggested by
Eskaton
-
Prospective design innovations to
support the aging experience
-
Smart Phone App for Caregivers -
Develop a smart phone application to help caregivers by providing a checklist
of individual's daily activities, medication schedule, doctor's appointments,
mobility and health monitoring, etc.
- Project Contact:
- Stuart Greenbaum - VP, Public
Relations & Branding
- Eskaton
- stuart.greenbaum -at-
eskaton.org
- Links:
- Nearby Eskaton facilities:
- Eskaton Lodge
Brentwood
- The
Parkview in Pleasanton
Back to
top
Educational Activities for Children
with Disabilities
-
Background: Resource Area for
Teaching (RAFT) creates hands-on activity kits which 9,000 educators use to
help nearly 1 million students master important concepts in school and after
school each year.
-
A large percentage of the students these
educators serve have disabilities (physical, mental, or emotional). RAFT is
particularly popular with these educators because our hands-on activities often
seem to "open up" disabled students and get them excited about learning and
participating.
-
Problem: Special education
teachers report that they often wish there were more activities focused on
children with disabilities.
-
Aim: Investigate and develop new
educational activities appropriate for children with disabilities. This may
include mechanical and/or computer software solutions that will provide
interactive access for these learners.
-
Design Criteria: The design must
be appropriate for the intellectual and disability level of the students; must
be very low cost; safe to use; easy to store, setup, explain, use, and ship;
and must fit into the students' educational plan.
-
Other: Access to teachers and
students will be provided.
- Project Contact:
- Greg Brown - Director of Education and
Membership
- Resource Area for Teaching
(RAFT)
- greg -at- raft.net
Sirott Speech Feedback
Project
-
Problem: Patients with
Parkinson’s Disease typically have weakness and reduced neural drive to
the muscles of speech and voice. They have problems in sensory perception,
making it difficult for them to easily monitor or self-correct vocal parameters
or respiratory effort as they speak. They may also lack the ability to generate
sufficient physical effort to produce normal conversational vocal volume and
variation in pitch.
-
Aim: Design an unobtrusive,
affordable, programmable portable device that provides feedback of speech
volume, speech pitch, and respiratory effort. The device would offer users the
internal cueing required to monitor their speech output and correct vocal
parameters as they speak, improving their communication skills and quality of
life.
-
Design Criteria: The device should
be able to process real-time speech and display its volume and pitch speech
parameters in a variety of ways: a visual display (lights, or colored bars, or
digital readout), an auditory display (beeps or spoken verbal cues), or a
sensory/kinesthetic display (vibro-tactile transducer). The device should
indicate when the spoken volume is too soft or too loud (given the ambient
sound level in the room) and when the pitch is too low. The choice of feedback
type and threshold parameters must be programmable.
-
Suggestions: A small external
sensor placed on the skin above the user's diaphragm can detect respiratory
muscle effort while a vibro-tactile transducer could provide feedback to the
wearer. The device could produce "background noise" which would cause the
speaker to increase his/her vocal volume.
Simplified Sirott Speech Feedback
Project
-
Aim: Design a voice-activated
feedback device that provides a means of maintaining a proper speaking
volume.
Design Criteria: The device should
consist of a laryngeal microphone system and companion hardware / software that
would be able to distinguish between voice and noise from the microphone.
(Voice waveforms have a wide range of variation in amplitude, but noise
waveforms are more stable.) The device should introduce a masking noise in the
speaker's ear when his/her vocal volume drops below a programmed level. The
speaker will then automatically increase vocal volume in order to hear his/her
own voice over the masking noise.
-
Suggestions: The masking noise
might consist of regular white noise, Edinburgh Masker, or typical background
noise found in a restaurant environment. The device could be developed around
an iPad, iPod, iPhone, etc. An additional desirable feature would be the
ability to read respiratory muscle action potentials from a biofeedback belt
worn around the ribs/abs. When the speaker's respiratory effort is below a
threshold, the device would produce an audio signal or vibration
cue.
- Project Contact:
- Tracey J. Baldwin, MA, CCC-SLP
- Voice and Swallow Specialist
- Kaiser Permanente / Oakland
- Head and Neck Surgery
- tracey.baldwin -at-
nsmtp.kp.org
- Links:
- Respiration Sensor
SA9311M
- Laryngeal
microphone
- Edinburgh
Masker
- KayPentax
Computerized Speech Lab, Model 4150B
- KayPentax
Ambulatory Phonation Monitor, Model 3200
- Stens Biofeedback
Effortless Respiration Sensor
- Larry
Sirott, MD
- PD Active
- Dance for
PD
Back to
top
Project employing NeuroSky's
MindSet brain-computer interface
-
Background: NeuroSky's MindSet is
a headset that senses and interprets EEG brainwaves and is able to determine
the wearer's level of attention and meditation as well as detect when the
wearer blinks. This information can be used to control a videogame or provide
an interface to operate physical devices.
-
Aim: Explore an application for a
person with a disability using the MindSet brain-computer interface product.
Examples include the control of household appliances (lights, TV, music
system), operation of Bluetooth devices (iPhone), construction of an on-screen
keyboard, and design of a communication system for non-vocal users with limited
manipulation skills.
-
Design Criteria: The device should
be appropriate for the user's abilities and be simple to configure and
use.
- Project Contact:
- Tansy Brook
- Neurosky BCI Technologies
- tansy -at- neurosky.com
- Links:
- Neurosky
- MindSet
Back to
top
Projects suggested by Berke
Prosthetics / Orthotics
Aid for donning compression
stockings
-
Background: Graduated compression
stockings are used to support the leg's venous and lymphatic systems. The
maximum compression is at the foot and ankle and gradually decreases up the
calf.
-
Problem: Many individuals who use
these stockings are obese, elderly, or have some other type of physical
disability (such as arthritis) which makes it difficult for them to put on
their own stockings. Those who have trouble bending over, who don't have the
strength to pull the compression stocking up over their foot and leg, as well
as those who don't want to rely on others would benefit from an effective,
easy-to-use aid.
-
Aim: Explore designs for a simple
device that will assist these individuals in rolling on or pulling up their
compression stockings.
-
Design Criteria: While there are
several aids on the market, most are still too difficult for many individuals
to use, resulting in frustration and refusal to use the stockings. Commercial
devices include those made from PVC tubing or wire cages - others consist of
nylon slippers for open-toe stockings.
-
Suggestions: Perhaps some type of
roller system could help these individuals don their stockings.
- Links:
- Compression
Stocking Aids
- What Health -
Compression
Stocking Application Aids
Toileting and/or showering aid for
a bilateral upper extremity amputee
-
Background: The loss of both hands
due to trauma or birth defect is classified as a 95% disability, often
requiring complete attendant care for feeding, bathing, toileting, and other
activities of daily living.
-
Problem: Prostheses are wonderful
devices for providing a level of independence with eating, mobility, and self
care - but cannot be used for toileting or showering due positioning,
sanitation, and comfort issues. The problem for those with limb loss is how to
clean up after using the restroom. How does one wash their hair, shave, or
scrub one's body if their prostheses can't be used?
-
Aim: Design an assistive device
that provides increased independence for a male user with a bilateral traumatic
trans-radial (below the elbow) amputation. The device should also work for
those with various levels of bilateral upper extremity
amputation.
-
Design Criteria: This device could
either attach to the body or the environment and should be stable, washable,
replaceable, waterproof, relatively inexpensive, and reliable. It must provide
improved independence in its application and use.
- Links:
- Toileting
Aids
- Rehabilitation without
Prostheses: Functional Skills Training
- Toileting self-care
methods for bilateral high level upper limb amputees
- Project Contact:
- Gary M. Berke, MS, CP, FAAOP
- Adjunct Clinical Instructor
- Department of Orthopaedic
Surgery
- Stanford University
- gmberke -at- stanford.edu
Back to top
Visual Balance Project for veterans
with traumatic brain injury
-
Aim: Explore designs for a device
to monitor and improve balance (perhaps using virtual reality
techniques).
- Project Contact:
- Debbie Pitsch
- VA Palo Alto Health Care
System
- Polytrauma Assistive Technology
Laboratory
- debbie.pitsch -at- va.gov
- Links:
Back to top
Projects with veterans with spinal
cord injury
1. Problems and needs expressed at
SCI Peer Support Group Meeting
- Manipulating objects:
- picking up dropped items, especially from
under tables or chairs
- reaching items high on shelves
- carrying items such as
groceries
- retrieving mail from mailbox
- BBQ implements
- handling a bank card at an ATM
- Accessing the
real-world:
- opening doors
- opening a 2-liter bottle
- preparing food and cooking tasks,
including making sandwiches and heating soup
- controlling appliances such as the TV,
telephone, electric bed, music system, nurse call, etc.
- transferring to / from wheelchair to bed
/ shower
- tele-visiting / tele-working with
family/co-workers at home/office during hospital stay
- selecting groceries remotely for
delivery
- design for an arm ergometer that would
allow users to strap themselves in
- a joystick design that would accommodate a
variety of shaft geometries
- a cup holder that can fit on any
wheelchair
- Recreational
activities:
- operating a PS3 game controller for a
gamer who has use of one hand
- engaging in gardening tasks
- Caregiver (family, nurse, and
therapist) assistance
- Project Contact:
- Deane F. Denney
- Palo Alto VA Health Care
System
- Spinal Cord Injury Peer Support
Group
- deanedenney -at- gmail.com
2. Fishing rod, wheelchair
brackets, accessible digital camera, lap tray system
- A device to operate a fishing rod for a
user without use of upper extremity - to reel the line in/out, lock the reel,
etc (new for 2012)
- A bracket design for new power wheelchairs
that would allow use of an overhead sling system
- A bracket system for power wheelchairs
that would work with a mobile arm support system
- A device that would allow a high level
quadriplegia (C4) to use a digital camera. It need not be able to adjust
position of camera, but it should include a feature to snap a photo for users
with diminished hand function.
- A lap tray system that is compatible with
the new wheelchair designs
- Project Contact:
- Janet Weis
- VA Palo Alto Health Care
System
- janet.weis -at- va.gov
- Links:
Back to
top
Low Cost Transfer Device
-
Problem: Wheelchair users have
difficulty getting into and out of their wheelchairs to use the toilet or get
into their bed in their home, at work, and while traveling.
-
Aim: Explore designs for a low
cost transfer device for a wheelchair user.
-
|
Design Criteria:
|
|
- Able to lift and move the user from
bed to chair to toilet or bed and back
- Free standing for ease of
installation in any room of the house or portable for use when
traveling
- Manual operation for simplicity,
reliability, and low cost
- Can be operated by those with
limited strength
- Independent use without
assistance
- Stable for safety, providing
confidence for use
- Strong and durable
- Easy to maintain and
clean
- A portable unit must fit into a
carry-on suitcase
|
- Project Contacts:
- Chris Bayne & Michael
Bayne
- Rotamobility
- chris -at-
rotamobility.com & michael -at-
rotamobility.com
- Mark Felling
- Broadened Horizons
GimpGear
- mark -at-
broadenedhorizons.com
- Links:
Back
to top
|
Projects for persons recovering
from stroke
Standing Straight
Project
-
Problem: Persons recovering from
stroke (CVA) often have a significant shift in their perceived center of
gravity. This causes them to shift their weight to their unaffected side, with
their head and / or trunk at a 20 degree angle, even though they think they are
sitting or standing straight. This has a significant negative effect on the
tone of their affected limbs, causing them to become more
spastic.
-
Aim: The goal of this project is
to develop a dynamic device that would aid the person to realize their true
center thus enabling better rehabilitation of their limbs.
-
Other: A similar device could be
used for people recovering from back injury that would alert them when they
bend at the back rather than keeping it straight during
lifting.
Sock Donning Aid
-
Problem: Most sock donning aids
require two hands to put the sock on the aid. These aids are used by people who
have hemiplegia and also have a limited range of motion of their hips and / or
knees, making crossing their legs so that the ankle rests on the intact leg (in
order to don the sock) impossible.
-
Aim: Explore a new design for a
sock donning aid that can be used with one hand.
-
Other: Most of these individuals
forgo putting on socks altogether, but still some people would really benefit,
for cardiovascular reasons, in wearing support socks / hose.
- Project Contact:
- Debbie Kenney
- kenney5 -at- comcast.net
- Links:
Back to
top
Other project ideas
- Accessible interfaces for commonly-used
devices:
- iPods / iPads / mp3
players
- Cellphones
- Remote controls
-
- Online multi-site tele-videogames for
seniors
-
- Revisit projects listed in NSF
guide:
- Engineering Senior Design Projects to
Aid Persons with Disabilities
-
- Student-defined projects:
- Interview, observe, and discuss
assistive technology needs with an individual with a disability. Address their
need to participate in the following areas by designing a device that either
facilitates using usual tools or creates a new tool.
-
Creative Expression - writing,
painting, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, photography, music, etc
-
Activities of Daily Living -
cooking, dressing, cleaning, housework, yard work, employment, education,
shopping, commuting, etc
-
Sports and Exercise - walking,
running, indoor and outdoor sports, etc
-
Leisure Activities and Hobbies -
collecting, model making, crafts, board games & videogames, etc
- Project Coach:
- David L. Jaffe, MS
Back to
top
|
